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This is a fascinating quote from that article in the OP:
Council members voted to send the proposal to the Metropolitan Transit Commission on May 22.
The MTC is a county organization.
This means that the mayors of the 6 towns in Meck. + the head of the county council + the NCDOT have to vote in the majority for this plan before it moves forward. It will be interesting to see if they will want to put the streetcar in front of the Red Line.
No doubt. I lived in Elizabeth for 2 years and saw it first hand. I was referring to those areas that do no currently have tracks on the ground. As the 1.5 mile starter line is already under construction, those folks need to be left alone. They've paid their dues and I am VERY hopeful that this investments pays off for them.
What's on the Hawthorne segment? I don't see that many businesses benefiting from it with this next leg but want to hear more opinions. Nothing really to eat until you get to Gateway but will that really bring more people than say the Red/Orange line that operate free?
Maybe the Burger King in the transit center will sell some more Whoppers but I doubt it. I think the end game will show a lot in both directions but what kind of boost do you see versus bus/Gold Rush on this segment versus say after the whole route is done?
Hardly anyone has been able to stay in business selling food to Government Center/Court House except for Showmars and folks there can walk to the transit center if they are desperate for flame broiled or Bo (yes I've eaten both there).
Overstreet and Gateway are good but I'm betting those that use it on their lunch hour would rather continue to pay nothing for Gold Line which I'm sure the Red Line will eventually be killed off an Orange is already being cut back.
Of course the future is not about the 2nd segment, it's about the whole thing. But I'd imterested in hearing what others think about the impact of the 2nd stage.
This is a fascinating quote from that article in the OP:
Council members voted to send the proposal to the Metropolitan Transit Commission on May 22.
The MTC is a county organization.
This means that the mayors of the 6 towns in Meck. + the head of the county council + the NCDOT have to vote in the majority for this plan before it moves forward. It will be interesting to see if they will want to put the streetcar in front of the Red Line.
I think MTC should give authority to all transit growth and all the rail lines finished and funded then they might consider uptown traffic headache line.
I'm a huge fan of Plaza-Midwood and there is so much potential for the Plaza-Midwood area to be a tourist attraction/district and the 2nd segment is so close to the heart of the neighborhood.
The 3rd segment of the streetcar is going to really make it interesting. For the 3rd phase, I'd like to see the airport spur, Extended out to Rosa Parks & stop in Plaza-Midwood. Or just the whole thing.
I thing the airport & Rosa Parks & Plaza will have a huge effect on ridership.
Well the 2.5 mile addition gets us from Hawthorne/Central intersection to JCSU. So you are correct, there isn't much down Hawthorne at least until you get to that intersection. There would likely need to be a study on what constitutes the "area" truly benefiting from the streetcar. How far is someone willing to walk after getting off to get to your business. 1/4 of mile? 1/2 mile? 1/2 mile would get you down Central a fair ways in both directions and there are plenty of businesses there. Likewise down Trade through Gateway and into West Charlotte.
All of this also hinges on what happens with Gateway Station. The big plan for that is a true "Grand Central" for Charlotte, that includes offices, retail, ect (much like a northeastern transit hub or the ones you find in Europe). This streetcar will be the connector between the light rail and the eventual Red Line, Amtrak and a billion years from now the Southeast High speed Rail line. Connecting our transit lines will be very important. A bus could feasibly do it, but it doesn't create that same kind of concrete connectivity you would see with rail.
And to your point, a big bus station results in a Burger King. Gateway Station will (supposed to, I know, I know) result in offices and more substantial retail.
Wanted to add this as well. This is a googlemaps rundown of the 2030 plan for some reference. It's a little old, and it's not mine. Credit to Tozmervo over at UP.
The bottom line for many, if not most, people is that it will be slow, stuck on tracks (not easily rerouted), and extremely costly, and will do nothing a bus isn't currently doing. It will do nothing to ease congestion.
stuck on tracks is a given... and it's a positive. A bus has a negative stigma (warranted or not) attached to it. It will ease some congestion during off hours and will reduce driving in the city. I can see these being a big attraction during festivals as well.
I think you are approaching this from a rapid transit angle and this isn't the goal... well, I hope it isn't.
I view this as a progressive way to get people to commute within Uptown... I don't see anyone being in a rush and relying on a streetcar to make a meeting or complete a deadline.
I think Charlotte being proactive in regards to expanding a variety of mass transit options will pay big dividends down the road. Charlotte might not have an overabundance of remaining history but true to form, it's ahead of most other cities/metros of similar size with respect to public rail transportation.
I think Charlotte being proactive in regards to expanding a variety of mass transit options will pay big dividends down the road. Charlotte might not have an overabundance of remaining history but true to form, it's ahead of most other cities/metros of similar size with respect to public rail transportation.
There would likely need to be a study on what constitutes the "area" truly benefiting from the streetcar. How far is someone willing to walk after getting off to get to your business. 1/4 of mile? 1/2 mile? 1/2 mile would get you down Central a fair ways in both directions and there are plenty of businesses there.
I'd say realistically, most people won't walk more than 5 minutes from a rail or trolley stop. Figure average pedestrian pace is 3 mph, a mile is 20 minutes, so 5 minutes is a 1/4 mile.
One thing I learned when I still lived about 8/10 of a mile from a LYNX station... there is a significant delay in crossing major streets. (Assuming you're not another jaywalker, which is another topic about Charlotte. ) People need to *like* walking and have the patience to accept 10 or 15 minutes to get from a station to a business, and I don't think that mentality exists here yet.
From what I've witnessed, the various LYNX stations have spurred residential development but the commercial centers near the stops have hardly changed. Even Woodlawn station, which has a strip center facing the park and ride... no street to cross at all... and a mere two lane road from the station itself... struggles to keep active businesses in there.
It is not about easing congestion. It is all about gentrification of the troubled east side which has fallen dramatically over the last 10-20 years. City buses will not create growth such as new apartments, restaurants and other businesses. The city thinks that the area along Central Avenue and in particular old Eastland Mall area needs a stimulant. Otherwise the area will continue to slide into decline and then more problems such as robberies, prostitution etc. will prevail. The city does not want to invest in an expensive rail system for the east and west side toward airport. But they are hoping that a street car line can have a positive impact just as the rail line has in Southend. A street car line would be much cheaper to build and operate than a rail line.
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) People need to *like* walking and have the patience to accept 10 or 15 minutes to get from a station to a business, and I don't think that mentality exists here yet.
